Sunday, November 17, 2013

Snipers form the backbone of any Army and that is why they go through very hard training and need to be capable of taking quick decisions, weighing out their options, establishing priorities, showing strong determination, bravery and need to be confident. Russia plans to have snipers incorporated as a part of Russian land forces by 2016 after which these snipers will undergo a training exercise 3-4 times a year. These training exercises will include counter sniper training, shooting and how to work effectively as a team.

This particular article shows how snipers are trained, how are they assessed mentally and other training exercises which they go through. Let’s start off with the kinds of firearms which are at a sniper’s disposal. There is a huge arsenal of rifles to choose from as per the requirement of a particular task and a single rifle might not fulfill the requirements of each and every task. Hence, a sniper must select his/her rifle very cautiously. Each soldier will be provided with an individual weapon, a handgun, uniform, binocular, laser reconnaissance device and some other equipment.

Before any sniper is inducted and allowed to use weapons they must undergo psychological tests which in simplest terms requires them to fill out a questionnaire which enable psychologist to divide the candidates into four groups. Only two groups are permitted to continue training and eventually gain access to the above mentioned weapons. The psychologist continues the observation of trainee snipers and carries out special training sessions with them to help improve their performance. However, if a psychologist determines that a sniper can’t be improved, the particular sniper is discharged.

Apart from these, a sniper needs to be able to prepare camouflage with what is available at the particular time. Although there are camouflage-suits available but the basics are a must. A sniper must be an expert of camouflaging his firing position. The training involves snipers laying down in a position for several hours to several days and it helps them to be able to perform in the field. These snipers also practice how to deploy fake snipers with micro mirrors that are able to reflect light to get the attention of enemy sniper and force him to fire, hence giving up his location.

Last but not the least, a sniper must be able to provide medical aid to his partner and carry him out of the battlefield without revealing himself. Snipers are an asset to the armed forces and hence are required to keep on honing their abilities. The best snipers are decorated with a chevron which is considered as the pride of each sniper.